About DRI Lebanon

Democracy Reporting International (DRI) has been active in Lebanon since 2016, strengthening democracy by bringing it closer to people through effective local governance, improved transparency, and citizen participation.  

What we do 

Our work in Lebanon focuses on three important areas: 

Empower civil society, notably women, to participate actively in political life and elections, increasing their representation in decision-making positions.

Curb corruption and ensure that laws are created in a transparent way that respects the rule of law. 
Increase engagement between people and local authorities to help improve how public services are delivered and cooperation between different levels of government.   
Amplify the civic space by providing an online platform for marginalised groups to discuss topics of interest that are not tackled in traditional media.

How we do it 

We use a host of different methods to turn our goals into reality, including: 

Raising awareness and advocating for better local governance through social media campaigns and collaboration with civil society organisations.
Building platforms that bring together citizens and local governments to facilitate reform to local governance.
Training civil society groups on anti-corruption laws, good governance principles, and solid waste management.
Providing expertise and recommendations to parliamentary committees, government, and civil society on how to design and implement good governance and decentralisation policies.
Creating youth councils and empowering them to play an effective role in holding their local representatives accountable and implementing reform initiatives.

Current Running Projects

Municipal Know-How for Host Communities in the Middle East – DRI is promoting decentralised cooperation and intercultural exchange between municipalities in Lebanon and Germany to develop innovative solutions to local problems.
Supporting Decentralisation Phase III: Accountable, Inclusive and Democratic Governance in Lebanon – DRI is supporting civic and public actors in conducting an accountable, inclusive and effective decentralisation reform, providing training and expert guidance, as well as organising peer-to-peer exchanges and public awareness campaigns.
Promoting community policing in Lebanon .– This EU-funded Project aims at fostering social cohesion promoting a human rights-rule of law compliant community policing in Lebanon. DRI is supporting the implementation of the community policing model in six municipalities or unions of municipalities.
Nafas Jdeed: Expanding the democratic space for political change in Lebanon –. Funded by Porticus Global, this project provides for the second year, a safe space for marginalised groups to discuss topics of interest that are not tackled in traditional media. It amplifies the voices of these groups and encourages free and impartial critical thinking, in addition of equipping young media makers with the knowledge and skills to engage citizens in debates related to political reform.

Previous Projects

Resilience in Local Governance – In this project, DRI worked with two municipal unions and the Akkar governorate’s administration to enhance the effectiveness of local public authorities.
Review of the Directorate General of Local Administrations and Councils – With the support of the Municipal Empowerment and Resilience Project, DRI conducted a holistic assessment of the efficiency of the Directorate General of Local Administration and Council.
Social Participation and Social Engagement by Young People – DRI increased social and political participation of youth and improve social cohesion by creating youth councils and training opportunities in partnership with Lebanese municipalities.
Maintaining Strength and Resilience for Local Governments – This EU-funded project supported local governments’ capacities in Akkar, Baalbek-Hermel and Tripoli in Lebanon, specifically on municipal strategic planning, improvement of public services and local economic development.
Act – Anti-Corruption and Transparency Project in Lebanon – This EU funded project promoted transparency and fought against corruption in Lebanon.

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